When I was a little girl I used to garden aka pick weeds out of our vegetable patch. The constant swarming of mosquitos around my head on humid days in the garden made me less than a fan. It took years for me to ever consider growing my own plants, let alone food. Almost three years ago, I started researching the role nutrition plays in healing and preventing disease and found that my clean eating role models all garden. I wanted to try it again. However, I knew I needed to figure out growing food on my terms. My goal was to make it fun and not time-consuming so that my son would be inspired to eat more vegetables.
The last few years we’ve created our own adventures in clean eating, starting small by visiting various farmer’s markets to give my young-child a place to run around. If you are busy, not-interested in gardening or don’t have a green thumb, embrace a farmer’s market. Visiting them can be a fun way to expose kids to a variety of produce. There we created games by choosing vegetables based on their colors and sizes. As my son got older, we gave him a budget to see if he could make a math exercise with our visit.
Last year we ventured into creating our own herb gardens. They were truly kid-friendly, simple to produce and maintain. Our Pretty Wellness on YouTube DIY video about it showcased the ease and fun. We started at a local garden center to grab a few materials. A few hours later we were educated on full-blown gardening tips and simple projects for kids.
Recently, I showcased some of these favorite tips on our local ABC affiliate, WTNH’s lifestyle show, CT Style. As a healthy lifestyle mom, wife, writer, public speaker and wellness ambassador, I contribute regularly and am always interested in promoting how we can get our kids to eat more veggies.
Like me, for all of you who aren’t avid gardeners, I encourage you to make it a family affair. Consider creating your own fun, family farming activities. Whether you’re a beginner, just rummaging through a farmer’s market or looking to attend regular events at a local garden center, kids can learn to love veggies by just being exposed to it.
Do you like to garden? What are you favorite tips? If not, what do you think will motivate your kids to eat more veggies?
